When Marquette was in its moment of need Tuesday night, Todd Mayo took over the game.

Bringing the Golden Eagles back from a 10-point second-half deficit, the junior guard went on a scoring spree to lead them to a 69-62 victory against Butler at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

At one point in the second half, Mayo scored 17 of Marquette's 24 points to give the Golden Eagles their biggest lead of the game at five points.

All of Mayo's 17 points came in the second half.

Mayo's performance off the bench was reminiscent of his Jan. 25 game against Villanova, in which he scored 10 points in the last 34 seconds of regulation to take it to overtime. But this time, he led his team to a victory it had to have.

In the ebbs and flows of the season, Mayo has become a clutch performer. He also made the three-point shot to send Marquette's victory at Georgetown into overtime.

"When the chips are down for whatever reason, you can count on him," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "When the chips are down, he seems to show up. I'd like him to show up all the time."

In avenging an overtime loss at Butler on Jan. 18, the Bulldogs' first Big East victory ever, the Golden Eagles are 13-10 and 5-5 in the Big East. The Bulldogs are 12-10 and 2-8.

Mayo's outburst wasn't surprising given his quick-strike ability, but he was coming off a one-shot, four-turnover game in Saturday's loss at St. John's.

Against Butler, all it took was a made three-pointer to get Mayo going.

"I just need to see one go in and then I just started attacking," he said. "It's just rhythm. I'm a streaky scorer. When I get into a rhythm, I feel like I can't be stopped."

So what's the difference for Mayo, who has been in and out of trouble for parts of his career, from game to game?

"I don't know," Williams said. "I wish I had a better pulse on it. I think Todd's sometimes misunderstood, but I do think he's playing for the right coach and for the right school."

Said Mayo, "It's being on the floor longer. I'm an older player and a little bit smarter. When I was a freshman I just came off the bench shooting. Now I just start attacking. I'm a 27% shooter in conference plays on three. I am at my best when I'm attacking more."

Once again, Williams shook up his lineup. Davante Gardner went back in the starting lineup as Williams again went with an 11-man rotation, which Williams said wasn't to Mayo's comfort level. While Mayo was bringing the Golden Eagles back and playing with four fouls, Gardner and Jamil Wilson were on the bench with foul trouble. Wilson hung in for 17 points.

The Golden Eagles were down, 39-29, with 15:40 left. Marquette scored out of a timeout, and then Mayo took control.

But it wasn't just Mayo's second-half offensive assertiveness. The Golden Eagles turned up the pressure with their press, forcing 20 turnovers for the game against a team not known for beating itself.

"What we've been good at this year is taking care of the ball," Butler coach Brandon Miller said. "Our margin of error is very small when we turn the ball over 20 times. Give Marquette credit. They did some things to cause us to turn the ball over."

And then there was the matter of Mayo seizing control.

"When he makes shots he's very difficult to defend," Miller said. "He had it going, especially at the end of the game. I think he's better when he's comfortable. He found a comfort level in the second half.